Cases of PTSD on the rise as more veterans seek help for mental health problems

The number of veterans needing help for mental health problems such as PTSD has jumped by 71 per cent in the past five years in the aftermath of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, a major military charity has warned.

Combat Stress said it had received nearly 10,000 referrals in the past five years as it rejected as “unhelpful” recent suggestions that the toll of PTSD has been exaggerated by some charities.

Ms Freeth said: “I think it’s unhelpful to suggest there is an exaggeration. It’s taken years of charities working together to get people to come forward.”

Tom Stimpson, who was medically discharged from the RAF after 26 years with PTSD after tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “A lot more needs to be done. There needs to be a lot more awareness training.”

Dan Jarvis, a former British Army Major who is now Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said PTSD remains "a serious problem for our veterans".

"PTSD is a debilitating condition and no one should seek to downplay the devastating impact it can have on ex-service personnel and their families," he said.

"Military charities have done a great deal of work trying to reduce the stigma around mental health and it is very important that we fully support them in that work."

Dan Jarvis served in the armyCredit:
Waldegrave / Rex Shutterstock

More than 6,000 ex-servicemen and women, aged between 18 and 97 years old, are registered with Combat Stress and Ms Freeth said the charity has focused on breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health.

She said: "For decades this stigma has prevented veterans from seeking the specialist support they need.

"Many of the veterans I meet tell me there is low awareness of PTSD and other mental health conditions in the military community.

"This leaves them feeling isolated and unsure of who to turn to for support."

Figures from the charity's annual report, due to be published later this month, showed almost 10,000 new referrals in the last five years.

Referrals increased from 1,443 in the financial year 2010/11 to 2,472 in 2015/16 - a 71% rise.

The figures also show a 34% increase in the number of Afghanistan veterans being supported by the charity and a 24% increase in the number of Iraq veterans being helped compared to the financial year 2014/15.